Sequoia Leads $60M Series B for Robot-Data Startup Mecka AI

What happened

Mecka wants to do for robotics what Scale AI, Mercor and Surge did for large language models: supply the human-generated data these systems learn from. The startup pays people to record themselves doing everyday tasks — making coffee, fixing cars — while wearing body sensors and using smartphones. It was founded in 2024. TechCrunch previously reported that rival XDOF was in talks to raise a Series B at a roughly $1.2 billion valuation, while human-data platforms born in the LLM era, such as Scale AI and Micro1, are expanding into robotics too.

Key facts

1. Raise: : $60M Series B led by Sequoia, with Nvidia, Microsoft's M12 and others participating; about $500M valuation per prior reporting
2. Model: : pays volunteers wearing body sensors to record everyday tasks (making coffee, fixing cars) via smartphones
3. Founded: : 2024, aiming to be the Scale AI of robotics
4. Peers: : XDOF reportedly raising a Series B at ~$1.2B valuation; Scale AI and Micro1 expanding into robotics